Blade-sharpening device



July 22, 1930. G. FORTUNE BLADE SHARPENING DEVICE Filed Opt. 16, 1 928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /V/ A '7 9 y /7 \J I I v 5 HEIIHII D Geozye frzawe,

July 22, 1930. FORT E 1,771,171

BLADE SHARPENING DEVICE Filed Oct. 16, 1 928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k X\\(\ L\ \\\\Y\ 1 I l 1 Qwuemtov aeo rye forfune,

Patented July 22, 1930 PATENT OFFICE GEORGE FORTUNE, OF ARKANSAS CITY, KANSAS ZBLADE-SHARPENING DEVICE Application filed October 16,

This invention relates to blade sharpening devices, and has more particular reference to an improved device particularly adapted for use in sharpening safety razor blades, whereby such blades may be easily, quickly and accurately honed or stropped,

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a device for releasably holding a safety razor blade while being sharpened, the device embodying means for properly presenting the edge of the bladeto the surface of a hone or strop and for causing the blade to have a slight transverse movement relative to the hone or strop when the device is moved over the latter longitudinally thereof, thereby producing practically the same effect as is produced by the most skillful hand stropping or honing.

A further object is to provide a device ofthe above kind which may be reversably employed for properly presenting the opposite sides of the edge of a blade to the stropping or honing surface, thereby permitting completion of a sharpening operation with respect to an edge of the blade without requiring removal and reversal of the blade.

A still further object is toprovide a blade sharpening device of-the above-kind which is extremely simple and durable in construction as well as efficient in use, and which embodies simple andeflicient means for firmly clamping a safety razor blade in position for being sharpened so'that the blade maybe readily and quickly released and removed after being sharpened. g

The embodiment of the invention il1ustrated herein provides a supporting roller having its axis of rotation set obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the blade holder so that when the latter is moved longitudinally over the stropping' or honing surface, said blade holder" is caused to have slight transverse movement or to travel in a path oblique to the longitudinal axis of said stropping or honing surface. The supporting roller is tapered from a'given diameter at one side or end to a smaller diameter at the opposite 1928. Serial No. 312,823.

Moreover, the supporting roller projects a like distance beyond opposite faces of the holder so that the latter may be reversably employed for properly sharpening the edge of the blade at both sldes.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, 'hown in the accompanying drawings, and claimed. 4

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a blade sharpening device embodying the present invention, and illustrating the use of the device when s-tropping a safety razor blade.

, Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figure 1. t

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the device in use as in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar view on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 with blade gripping jaws released; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the supporting roller.

Referringmore in detail to the drawings, the present invention embodies a razor blade holder composed of an elongated handle 5 having an enlarged fiat head or body 6 rigid with one end thereof, said head or body 6 being composed of a pair of contiguous flat metal plates whose inner or rear portions are firmly secured together near opposite sidesv ty razor blade 9 therebetween. The plates of the head 6 may have similar integral extensions secured together in contiguous relation by welding or the like to form the handle 5, as shown.

Means is provided for forcing the jaws 8 together so as to firmly clamp the razor blade 9 in place therebetween, and such means preferably consists of a pair of short shafts 1O extending through and journaled in pairs of alined openings provided in the rear or in- I 13 are swung outwardly to a laterally extending position as indicated in Figure 2, the heads or cams 11 willextend transversely between the outwardly pressed portions 12. thereby permitting the aws 8 to be separated for facilitating insertion of alongitudinal edge portion of the razor blade 9 therebetween. The arrangement is further such that when the handles 13 are swung inwardly to a position wherein the same extend rear wardly substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the holder. the heads or cams 11 will have ridden onto the outwardly pressed portions 12 so as to force the jaws 8 together into firm gripping engagement with the blade 9, the headsor earns 11 riding onto the outwardly pressed portions 12 when swung inwardly in this manner. While the friction had between the relatively movable parts may be found sufficient to retain the same positioned with the jaws 8 in gripping engagement with the blade 9, more positive means may be provided for insuring this, if desired. As shown, such latter means may consist in providing the free end portions of the handles 13 with outwardly pressed portions 14 so as to form recesses in which outwardly pressed teats 15 of the adjacent plate of the head 6 may seat when the handles 13 are swung to the inward position wherein they effect forcing of the jaws 8 together. In order that the handles 13 may be readily engaged, they project slightly. beyond the rear or inner end of the head 6 as shown, and it will thus be seen that the razor blade may be easily and quickly inserted or removed as well as effectively held in place for being stropped or honed. In Figure 5 the cam or head 11 illustrated is positioned upon the outwardly pressed portions 12 and the aws 8 are firmly forced into gripping engagement with the blade, while in Figure 6 the said cam or head 11 is disposed transversely between the outwardly pressed portions 12 and the jaws 8 are separated with the blade loosely disposed therebetween either for removal or preparatory to gripping engagement of the jaws 8 therewith.

The head 6 is provided with a substantially central oblique slot 16 located at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the holder, and journaled within this slot at a similar angle to said axis is a supporting roller 17 which tapers smaller from one side or end to the other. This'supporting roller 17 proj sets a similar distance beyond opposite faces of the head 6 so that when it is placed in contact with the stropping or honing surface with either side of the holder uppermost, said holder will be supported for positioning at a proper angle so as to properly present one side of the edge of the razor blade 9 to the stropping or honing surface. By reason of the tapered form of the roller 17 the oblique positioning thereof does not elevate one side of the head 6 a greater distance than the other, and thus, when the edge of the blade 9 is disposed parallel with he forward or outer edge of the head 6 or jaws 8, the edge of the blade evenly contacts the stropping or honing surface. It is thus evident that either side of the edge of the razor blade may be presented to the stropping or honing surface so as to permit sharpening of the edge at both sides without removal of the blade from between the jaws. By reason of the oblique position of the roller 17, the holder will be given a slight transverse movement relative to the stropping or honing surface when the holder is moved longitudinally over said surface. This causes an effective path of travel of the blade obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the stropping or honing surface, thereby causing the edge of the blade to traverse as well as move longitudinally of said surface with practically the same effect as is produced by the most skillful hand stropping or honing. In the accompanying drawings, the device has been illustrated in use as when honing the blade 9. In such use, the device is preferably drawn rearwardly over the surface of the strop so as to avoid damage to the latter by reason of the edge of the blade cutting into the surface of the same. However, when honing the blade, the device is preferably pushed forwardly so as to obtain a better sharpening action upon the edge of the blade, there being no danger of damaging the surface of a-hone by reason of the edge of the blade cutting into the same, such as is the case in connection with stropping. The plates of the head 6 are preferably provided at opposite sides of the slot 16 and intermediate the ends of the latter with pairs of mating outwardly offset portions 18 forming bearings or journals for the projecting ends of the shaft 19 for the roller 17. In this way a simple and durable construction is bad without the use of frail and expensive sepa rate bearing parts, while the axis of the roller 17 is naturally located coincident with the plane intersecting the mating faces of the plates forming the head 6. This naturally positions the roller 17 so as to project a similar distance beyond opposite faces of the head 6 as mentioned above. With this construction, the ends of the shafts 19 are obviously seated in-the outwardly pressed portions 18 of one of the plates of the head 6 before the other is applied and secured thereto, thereby permitting economical manufacshown. This is done without any efiort to positively control the direction of movement, other than to move the device in a general direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the strop or hone. Under these circumstances the roller 17 by reason of its oblique position and frictional engagement with the stropping or honing surface, causes the device to have a slight transverse movement,

thus causing the edge of the blade to traverse the stropping or honing surface while moved longitudinally thereover. In this way most efficient sharpening of the edge of the razor blade is insured, the effect being substantially the same as is produced by the mostskillful hand stropping or honing.

Various changes in details of construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. A blade sharpening device including a flat head provided with a handle and having a pair of jaws adapted to receive a flat blade therebetween,'means to force the jaws together i-nto gripping engagement with the blade, and an anti-friction roller for supporting the head at an inclination upon a stropping or honing surface when the edge of the blade is engaged with said surface and with either side of the head uppermost, said head having a substantially central slot, said anti-friction roller being journaled in said slot obliquely of the head and projecting a similar distance beyond opposite, sides of said head.

2. A blade sharpening device including a fiat head provided with a handle and having a pair of jaws adaptedto receive a flat blade therebetween. means to force the jaws together into gripping engagement with the blade, and an anti-friction roller for supporting the head at an inclination upon a stropping or honing surface when the edge of the blade is engaged with said surface and with either side of the head uppermost. said head having a substantially central slot, said anti-friction roller being journaled in said slot obliquely of the head and projecting a similar distance beyond opposite sides of said head, said roller tapering smaller from one side to the other. a

3. A blade sharpening device including a fiat head provided with-a handle and having a pair of jaws adapted to receive a Hat blade therebetween, means to force the jaws together into gripping engagement with the blade, and anti-friction means for supporting the head at an inclination upon a stropping or honing surface when the edge of the blade is engaged with said surface and with either side of the head uppermost, said head having a substantiall central slot, said antifriction means embo ying a roller journaled in said slot obliquely of the head and projectingv a similar distance beyond opposite sides of said head, said roller having a shaft with projecting ends, said head further embodying a pair of contiguous plates having pairs of mating outwardly pressed portions at opfposite sides of said slot forming bearin'gs or the ends of said roller shaft.

4. A blade sharpening device including a flat head provided with a handle and having a pair of jaws adapted to receive a flat blade therebetween, means to force the jaws together into gripping engagement with the blade, and anti-friction means for supporting the head at an inclination upon a stroppingor honing surface when the edge of the blade is engaged with said surface and with either side of the head uppermost, said anti-friction means being arranged obliquely of the head, the means to force the jaws together embodying shafts journaled through the jaws and provided with handles at corresponding ends and cam-like cross heads at the other end, and outwardly pressed cam elements on one jaw at opposite sides of said shaftsand cooperating with said cam-like cross heads. 

